Chef

Full-Time

Position Summary

We have a fantastic opportunity for a Chef to join our team at Smokehouse at Plain & Fancy Farm. The Chef will play a pivotal leadership role in overseeing all culinary operations of the restaurant and catering services at Smokehouse. This position requires a focus on creating exceptional guest experience through innovative, high quality food offerings, while also managing financial performance, kitchen operations, and staff development. The successful Chef will be a strategic collaborator, working with other department heads to ensure seamless integration of food and beverage service with overall guest experience in mind. Through a hands-on leadership style, the Chef will develop, coach, and train employees while maintaining a healthy culture, keeping morale high. By using accountability, fairness, and consistency, the Chef oversees compliance with established policies, procedures, and guidelines.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The essential functions include, but are not limited to the following:

• Develop a cohesive menu to align with culinary trends and future concept change.
• Create and execute featured menu items for seasonal menu refreshes.
• Launch training roll outs for new menu items with all team members.
• Ability to price out and analyze menu items to ensure proper food cost.
• Ensure the appropriate level of food production, reducing waste through the proper use of guest projections.
• Responsible for ordering food and beverage products and maintaining rotation.
• Monitor and ensure productivity of the kitchen team by directing and planning the day's assignments and tasks.
• Ensure standards, processes and checklists are being followed and completed properly and in a timely manner.
• Practice ServSafe food handling procedures and standards, training staff to these standards.
• Ensure safety and sanitation standards are being met on a consistent basis.
• Ensure food product quality and consistency by way of recipes.
• Ensure kitchen equipment is being used and maintained properly.
• Offering solutions to operational problems while on duty
• Participate in forming and evaluating policies pertaining to the restaurant's operations which help shape a positive culture, high morale, and promote an inclusive environment.
• Communicate staff issues and needs to the General Manager and aid in forming positive and fair solutions to these issues to maintain a healthy and happy workplace pursuant to company policies and handbook.
• Aid in all staffing responsibilities including, but not limited to, training, developing, coaching, performance management, and termination of teammates.
• Jump into position and "get your hands dirty" when the situation requires running the line during peak times.
• Take charge of the line or expo during peak meal periods
• Review and understand weekly, monthly, and yearly financial reports to help contribute to the business’ bottom line.
• Stay in good rapport with our teammates, while being unbiased, fair, and consistent
• Ability to write and publish an effective schedule to meet business demands.
• Conduct monthly inventory of all products.
• Ability to place and purchase orders.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

• Minimum 5 years of progressive experience in culinary management.
• ServSafe Certified
• Weekends, Evenings and Holidays
• Variable and volume-based hours which may exceed 40 hours per week based on business demands.
• Ability to follow safety protocols.
• Understanding of controlling food and labor costs
• Understanding of how to meet employees where they are while maintaining positive company culture, policies and company core purpose and core values in the workplace.
• Basic computer and keyboard skills
• Excellent people skills with the ability to interact with all levels of management, employees, other business units and businesses/non-profit organizations within the community.
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to coordinate events for the restaurant.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality as directed.